Was our vacation horrible? No, but it definitely was not paradise. Let’s just say that on the long flight from our wintry home in Canada, a very kind stewardess slipped my husband a complimentary bottle of vodka to go with his orange juice. She said, “Here, I think you’ll need this.” Boy, did he ever. 

The long flight was punctured with screams and wails of unhappy infants and toddlers (I was glad to see that our kids were not the only grumpy ones on the plane). It seemed as though the airline had grouped together all the families with young ones in a little corner which was fine, except I felt sorry for the poor souls who were within earshot of us. 

Ayla went crazy whenever the “Fasten seatbelt” signs flashed on while the aircraft was experiencing turbulence. For safety reasons, the stewardesses insisted that we hold Ayla on our laps with our arms clutched around her until it was safe to do otherwise. This made our rambunctious toddler go berserk; she squirmed and thrashed about like a fish out of water. 

Once we landed in Hawaii, the worst part was over. But every time I think about boarding an airplane with my toddler, I feel a little ill. Infants for the most part are easy-peasy to travel with. 

Don’t get me wrong; I love my kids to pieces and I still had a good vacation for the most part. It’s just that travelling with my two little ones, especially my toddler, was more challenging than I anticipated. 

So here are a few things that worked well with us when travelling with a toddler and things I would do differently for the next trip. 

Do’s: 

• Pack a small bag full of new toys or objects to distract your toddler and keep her occupied. We visited the dollar store to pick up a few things and also scoured our house for little things. The best “toys” are ones that aren’t really toys at all—things are always much more exciting when you know you’re not supposed to play with them. So random household objects and of course your cell phone will work wonders.
• Pack lots of snacks. The only thing worse than a fussy toddler is a hungry fussy toddler. Luckily grandma was smart and packed lots of healthy snacks like grapes and cheese. An unexpected bonus when travelling with babies is that you are allowed to bring onboard food and beverages you normally wouldn’t be allowed so long as they are “for the baby.” So you might as well take advantage of the fact that you can bring along that extra water bottle or beverage
•  Try to make sure your toddler is well rested for the flight. Ayla did not sleep well at all the night before our trip, but we thought that this would help her pass out on the plane – WRONG. The new environment, the crowded seats, and the noises kept her up all flight (and night).
• Remember to bring her favourite blanket or toy. Sometimes, the only thing that can get your toddler to sleep is cuddling with her blankie or baby.
• Forget about pre-boarding the flight to get settled in. When you have an energetic toddler, we found it best to let one person settle in with all the carry-ons, and another person run around the airport with the little one for as long as possible to burn up some energy.

Don’ts: 

• Don’t pack too many activities during the day. Remember to account for frequent breaks and naps. One of the worst days of our trip was when we planned a sight-seeing day with a long car ride and not enough stops. It was exhausting, and there wasn’t enough time for Ayla to stretch her legs and run around which made her and the rest of us miserable.
• Don’t forget the necessities and remember to pack for emergencies. Extra diapers, wipes, clothes, bottles and snacks will be your best friend in case your afternoon out turns into an unexpected day-long excursion if you get lost or get caught in a bad traffic jam.
• Don’t assume there will be nice change room facilities or child-friendly restaurants at the next stop. It’s best to play it safe and take advantage of things in the moment. There were many times when I deeply regretted not changing a diaper earlier when there were nice change rooms—changing a dirty diaper when the child is perched precariously on a toilet seat is not fun.
• Don’t have unrealistic expectations. You won’t be able to see everything and do all the things you’d like to do with little ones along for the ride, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

But with all the extra work that comes with bringing along young kids on vacation, they also bring about some of the best moments on the trip. One fond memory was when Ayla met a little boyfriend at a local beach park and they happily frolicked together for the afternoon. They even tried running away together, hand-in-hand. 

With a toddler along for the ride, we learned to appreciate all the little things grown-ups don’t give a second glance. The world is a new and wonderful place through the eyes of a little one and all things big or small are ravished up with delight – a truly infectious feeling. 

Here is an excerpt:

Recently, I welcomed a baby boy into my life and have been simply exhausted. It’s been a whirlwind of activity and emotions. With the constant visitors, it’s been a struggle just trying to establish a new schedule for my family (which consists of my husband, 18 month daughter and new baby), and just trying to stay awake and feel half-human again. Believe me, nobody feels sexy after not showering for two days, having 3 hours of sleep, and wearing a shirt covered in baby poop and spit-up.

To read the full post, check out my blog, The Unlocked Life on HealthyPlace.com.

We had a hell of a time trying to pick out a name for our little guy. Boy names are so much tougher than girl names; girl names can be both feminine and masculine. But for boys, I find that no matter how progressive our society has become, and no matter how metro-sexual guys can be, we still favour strong, traditional monikers for boys. It also was not easy as my mom and mother-in-law both don’t really like the name Charlie. But I know that my good ol’ Charlie boy will win them over and make them love the name soon enough.

My husband and I always liked the name Charlie, but were not 100% sold on the name Charles. But after digging through 10 name books and countless websites, we discovered that Charlie is becoming an ever-more fashionable name for little girls too, so we decided to put “Charles” on the birth certificate to make it official. But now the name Charles is starting to grow on me too.

We love the name Charlie because it’s such a friendly name. As my friend said, it’s a name you can put your trust in. We came across so many cool and interesting boy names, but in the end, Charlie always came out on top for us. The name Charlie also has some sentimental value to my husband as it’s also the name of an old man who was like a second Dad to him.

I love that there are so many nicknames that you can make for it: Charmander, Charlo, Arlo, Chuckles, Chaz…Some parents hate the idea of nicknames, but when I was growing up, I always wanted a nickname. But nobody called my anything other than Theresa, or T.

It’s going to be quite an adjustment for Ayla. I can tell she likes her new baby brother but just doesn’t understand why we can’t hold her, or play with her as much as we used to. She already displays some maternal instincts though: when Charlie cries, she pretends to give him some food to make him feel better (even when her hands are empty). It’s the sweetest thing to see.

I’ll try to keep blogging as much as I can, but be patient with me if I’m not posting regularly. I’ll probably have my hands busy changing poopy diapers and wiping spit-up for the next little while until things settle down.

xoxo
Theresa

Other Posts You Might Like:
My Little Security Guards
The Second Child Trap
In Praise of the Professional House Husband

In my post on HealthyPlace.com, The Competitive World of Parenting, I talk about those annoying “super-parents” that make us all look bad, and how there is still hope for the rest of us. Here is an excerpt:

Whenever a bunch of parents congregate with their children, one thing is inevitable: a little bit of competition flares up amongst the sticky sippy cups and cookie crumbs. Now, I’m not a competitive person by nature—you could run circles around me on the track field or beat me in a game of Scrabble, and it wouldn’t faze or bother me a bit. But when it comes to my daughter, my own flesh and blood, I can’t help but compare her development to other toddlers her age.

To read the full post, check out my blog, The Unlocked Life on HealthyPlace.com.

Toddlers especially are unpredictable little bundles of energy. Last week I went out to dinner at a somewhat fancy Vietnamese restaurant with my parents, husband, and 17 month old daughter. I almost dread going to sit-down dinners with Ayla now because she can sit still for about 30 minutes max before she gets ants in her pants and demands to be released from her high chair.

Now the real “fun” begins.

Normally Ayla will do a few leisurely laps around the restaurant to scope the place out and stare at random patrons. But that particular night, she ran around the establishment like someone had lit a fire under her little bottom while I, eight months pregnant waddled after her to catch up. She also insisted on screaming, “Ooooooh!” and “Eeeeeeeh!” while tearing around the place.

The worst part was when she quietly snuck up behind a man who was sitting quietly enjoying his dinner and yelled, “Ooooooooh!” The man jumped out of his seat and I turned red with embarrassment as I spewed out a series of apologies. Luckily the man had a good sense of humour. But others in the restaurant were not quite as understanding as I felt the daggers they shot at me from their eyes.

Some people say that children don’t belong in restaurants. To those people I say, if the restaurant has a high chair, then my baby is just as welcome as you are. Other people think, “Can’t you control your kid?” To that I say, most of the times yes, but sometimes no. I’m not perfect and neither is my child. I’m glad (and a little weary) to say that my daughter definitely has a mind of her own.

Let me be clear – I don’t condone parents who let their children run wild and wreak havoc in public places. But there is a difference between an unsupervised child misbehaving and one that is simply having a bad time.

The next time you see a little person being unruly, remember that an hour in real time is like an eternity for a little one. And who wouldn’t want to get out of a seat that they are strapped into to stretch their legs?

Please don’t judge me by my screaming toddler. It must be some kind of cosmic karma coming back to me for all those times I got irritated at noisy little people in public places. So here is an apology in advance for the next time my daughter causes a ruckus in public: I’m sorry. Now let’s all try to have a good time.

Other Posts You Might Like:
Santa Clause: The Myth. The Legend. The Creep?
Girls Who Grow Up Too Fast
Families: The Reason Why We Never Really ‘Grow Up’

Recently Ayla has discovered that there is a window of discovery to the outside world by simply lifting the blinds on our front door. Every time my husband is shoveling snow (which has been much too frequently lately), she takes her post at the front door and presses her chubby little face to the glass while squealing, “Oooh!”

Her best friend Kacie the dog often keeps her company. Ayla takes her job very seriously and is starting to get territorial. Whenever a loud vehicle drives by, she scampers to the front door and yells at the offending noise as if to say, “Back off, mister!”

We’ve been cooped up lately because temperatures have dropped to 25 below on some days making us all a little stir-crazy. Ayla’s little stints as security guard remind me of how amazing our winter wonderland must look through innocent eyes. When the sun hits the snow at just the right angle, it transforms the fluffy white surface into a field of shimmering crystals.

As beautiful as snow can be, I’m still yearning for spring time when you don’t have to wear layer upon layer and worry about getting frostbite…until then, my little security guards will keep me entertained.

Other Posts You Might Like:
How to Make Eggs in a Basket
Sleeping Pains
Living with a Prankster

In my post on HealthyPlace.com, Healthy Eating Habits Start Young, I talk about how it’s so important for kids to develop healthy eating habits when they are young. Nearly one-third of American children between the ages of 10-17 are obese according to Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). Here is an excerpt:

Last week I took my 16 month old daughter to a local indoor amusement park with a few of my cousins who also have young children. We had a great time doing all the “kiddie” rides like the carousel and train. My daughter has never been a picky eater and everyone knows that food is the way to her little heart. So what do most people like to do when they are trying to befriend her? Feed her. She’ll waddle right up to anyone who is eating something with a twinkle in her eyes and her mouth open like a baby bird….Well, that day, some family members fed her some Cheetos (her very first time), and countless fries. That night my daughter got very sick (I will spare you the gross details).

To read the full post, check out my blog, The Unlocked Life on HealthyPlace.com.

My two sets of in-laws celebrate pretty differently than my own family. I’m lucky to have married into a family where they take Christmas very seriously and go all out with the food and decorations and where Christmas dinner means sitting down at an intimate table using your finest plates and silverware.

Delicious food from Christmas #1.

This is the first Christmas where Ayla is actually old enough to enjoy the festivities. It took a while to teach her how to open a present. She knows now not to rip paper after getting an earful from me the couple times she tore pages from my notebook. Now Christmas rolls around and we’re telling her, “Rip the paper!” Talk about mixed messages.

Ayla playing with a few of the many dogs who were Christmas guests.

Hope your bellies and hearts are filled with love…

Other Posts You Might Like:
Santa Clause: The Myth. The Legend. The Creep?
Alternative Gift Exchange Ideas to Cut Down Your Shopping List
Dealing With The Characters At Your Next Family Gathering

In my post on HealthyPlace.com, The Comfort of Family Traditions, I talk about the relevance of old traditions and creating new ones in our ever-changing families. Here is an excerpt:

As families grow larger and loved ones move away, traditions help to bind family members together and strengthen ties. A ritual or family tradition can be the one constant among an ever-evolving group of related people. Creating new traditions as old ones become stale or have lost their relevance is also a good idea, especially for families with young kids, blended-marriage families, and multi-cultural families.

In my family, as is custom in many Chinese families, a huge twelve-course feast is held when a newborn baby is one month old…Besides introducing the baby, and visiting with relatives, it also is a good excuse to pig out!

To read the full post, check out my blog, The Unlocked Life on HealthyPlace.com.

In my post on HealthyPlace.com, Raising Appreciative Kids, I talk about a few ideas on ways parents can instill a sense of gratitude in their young’uns. Here is an excerpt:

The holidays are the perfect time to instill a sense of appreciation in your kids for the blessings they have in life. I was out shopping recently for gifts, and ran into some friends who were having a hard time finding a gift for a particularly spoiled niece. This particular young teenage girl they were grumbling about had all the latest gadgets, $200 jeans, and her own horse…It made me wonder where this girl’s parents went wrong. After all, babies aren’t born spoiled; somewhere along the way, this once sweet little girl developed a sense of entitlement, and was probably not taught the value of money or how to be accountable for spending. She essentially turned into every marketer’s dream — a rabid consumer.

To read the full post, check out my blog, The Unlocked Life on HealthyPlace.com.